As cliche as a sunset photo is there is a lot that goes into creating an interesting image from foreground to background. Without all the pieces of the puzzle you can’t properly tell the viewer the entire story. This image in particular, although seemingly easy was a challenge for me! When you are shooting panoramic images you have to watch for parallax error(The difference in the apparent position of an object viewed along two different lines of sight), moving objects, and a wide exposure latitude. Location also plays a huge part in making an interesting image, although I was lucky enough to be sitting on a beach in Hawaii you can create interesting panoramic images of just about everything! This image in particular was a ballet of many factors coming together to create one of my favorite images I have ever created. Timing is crucial when it comes to panoramic images, if you are shooting mid day getting full detail in highlights and shadows will be difficult without the use of filters but don’t get worry you don’t need to anything but a watch! This image in particular was taken just after the sun had gone down, bringing the highlights in the sky and clouds to a reasonable amount for my digital camera. Once you have the timing down you have to work fast as the light is changing by the second. In this image I used the movement of the waves to reflect the sky giving the water a glassy, colorful look. Watch for people moving throughout the frame and reoccurring objects from the first frame of your panorama to the last. Don’t be discouraged if your first few attempts to don’t come out as expected, slow down and remember the devil is in the details.
